Ultimate Gear Versus Weight and Size

What is most important to you: Ultimate performance or weight and size considerations?

  • I will always opt for the ultimate gear possible

    Votes: 35 50.0%
  • I prefer lighter, smaller gear with great performance

    Votes: 20 28.6%
  • I choose the lightest, smallest gear due to health issues

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Depends on whether I'm shooting professionally or not

    Votes: 10 14.3%
  • I will carry smaller, less expensive kit in unsafe areas

    Votes: 5 7.1%

  • Total voters
    70
So a ongoing contention in most posts relates to size of gear and how much they weigh and it is such an overwhelming desire by some, that they will settle for lesser gear in order to lighten their camera bags.

Do note that when I say lesser gear, I do not mean bad gear. Examples noted where say the 70-200 f/4.0 IS L vs the f/2.8 L IS II or 24-70 f/4.0 L IS vs the f/2.8 L II

I'm interested in hearing which camp you guys are in and for what reason do you favour your stance:
* Ultimate Gear, regardless of weight and other dimensions
* More manageable dimensions like weight and size

I'm in the ultimate gear/performance camp. I'd much rather lug around a few extra kilograms and get the best quality images possible.

*DISCLAIMER* I am in the process upgrading my gear so I will upgrade my 70-200 to the f/2.8 L IS II version someday.
 
It depends on the outing for me. If it's not serious, I will take my old T1i and kit lens to get good enough photos (though I've had great results with my T1i). If I'm looking to provide services for someone, or am photographing youth sporting events where I might make a buck or two, then I'll take the best gear I have regardless of weight.
 
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Sabaki said:
...
I'm interested in hearing which camp you guys are in and for what reason do you favour your stance:
* Ultimate Gear, regardless of weight and other dimensions
* More manageable dimensions like weight and size
...
I am in both or better in none of these two camps. As for almost everything in the world to me it depends on situation and circumstances:

- I have a FF kit plus L lenses that surely surpasses my skills in photography.
This I take with me, when I focus on taking pictures and want the best results.
- And then I have an EOS 100D /SL1 with some EF-S and pancake lenses that definetly stays behind in IQ.
This I take with me, when photography is not of highest priority, when there's danger of theft and when
I want to travel light.

I can understand, that people want to have the best of both worlds in one kit - as I do, too.
But a lot of them cannot accept, that there are tradeoffs you must live with.
Today it's not possible to bend or break the laws of physics and so a 70 - 200 f/2.8 will not change that much in size and weight, even when you attach a FF mirrorless to it. That's a fact.
And to use high price DO and magnesium, engineered plastic or other light materials for optical elements and barrel will come with the tradeoffs of even higher price or loss of IQ or mechanical quality. That's a fact, too.

By the way: you could add a poll, but not only with two options ;)
 
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Maximilian said:
Sabaki said:
...
I'm interested in hearing which camp you guys are in and for what reason do you favour your stance:
* Ultimate Gear, regardless of weight and other dimensions
* More manageable dimensions like weight and size
...
I am in both or better in none of these two camps. As for almost everything in the world to me it depends on situation and circumstances:

- I have a FF kit plus L lenses that surely surpasses my skills in photography.
This I take with me, when I focus on taking pictures and want the best results.
- And then I have an EOS 100D /SL1 with some EF-S and pancake lenses that definetly stays behind in IQ.
This I take with me, when photography is not of highest priority, when there's danger of theft and when
I want to travel light.

I can understand, that people want to have the best of both worlds in one kit - as I do, too.
But a lot of them cannot accept, that there are tradeoffs you must live with.
Today it's not possible to bend or break the laws of physics and so a 70 - 200 f/2.8 will not change that much in size and weight, even when you attach a FF mirrorless to it. That's a fact.
And to use high price DO and magnesium, engineered plastic or other light materials for optical elements and barrel will come with the tradeoffs of even higher price or loss of IQ or mechanical quality. That's a fact, too.

By the way: you could add a poll, but not only with two options ;)
This is extremely well put and there is not much I can add.
There are times when only the best will do and I can live with the size and weight of a lens such as the canon 85mm F1.2. This is not a walkabout lens though and when I just want a camera with me in case there is something I want to photograph I will settle for a much smaller package - such as a 100D with a 55-250 zoom. The results are not quite as good, but sometimes I am prepared to accept that compromise.
 
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I'm in "Ultimate Gear" category ;-)
If I want to carry only one lens and need zoom, then it is 120-300 S. If I do not need zoom then it is 200/2.
(If I want a little bit longer reach, I swap body from FF to 1.3x.)
(I've upgraded from 1.5x and I do not accept it any more ;-) )
I've seen lots of test shots from Sony, but only reliable AF mode is on Eye, which is not available with any adapter and there is no native E 2.8 lenses at FL 70-200, 24-70, thus the next body looks like 1DX2 - depending on price...

EDIT:
Photography is my main hobby and the only reward for the picture usually is that I (and others sometimes too ;-) ) like the result. Thus I would not be satisfied, if I know that I can get better picture with heavier/larger body/lens I've left at home.
 
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A good question, Sabaki.
It made me consider, what I am actually doing in this respect, and to become more conscious about it.

I do not have separate gear in each of these two camps, and basically I am into the FF, quite heavy stuff.
However I know, that I will enjoy my days out in the field much less, if I carry too much, so my kit deliberately was chosen to be on the more light-weight side of FF gear.
Hence my body is a 6D (which I have reported here several times, that I am very happy with - I still am).
And my optics are generally more of the f/4.0 type than the f/2.8.
I hope strongly to see this form-factor develop further in the future with respect to IQ and functionality (AF etc.).

When packing for a specific outing, I try to decide, what type of photography is the key objective. Then I bring what is necessary for making best possible photos (for me, that is), and try not to include optics for all secondary potential situations.
This may cause carrying some weight still, e.g. in case of long-distance wildlife, where I will need both tripod, 150-600mm zoom and body. I admit, that when I haul that around, I could be more comfortable, but I do not see any other way.
In other cases - e.g. walking around doing street-photo, I can limit myself to body + 50mm, or include either a 100mm f/2.8, a 70-200 f/4.0 or a 16-35 (this is a heavy and old 2.8 by the way - would love to swap it for the new 4.0 for both IQ and weight). But would not include more than one of these three extras.

So in summary: I am in between the two categories listed.
 
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Maximilian said:
Sabaki said:
...
I'm interested in hearing which camp you guys are in and for what reason do you favour your stance:
* Ultimate Gear, regardless of weight and other dimensions
* More manageable dimensions like weight and size
...
By the way: you could add a poll, but not only with two options ;)

Hi Max :)

Is there anyway I can update the post with a poll? I'm not quite sure how to 'poll' a post
 
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PKinDenmark said:
...
I do not have separate gear in each of these two camps, and basically I am into the FF, quite heavy stuff.
...
Quite good point that makes me extend my first statement:
I do not have two seperate bags with separate gear.
I also choose and mix between the options I have.

For example when I go to a party I expect low light but I still want to travel light. And I don't want to annoy people with flashlight. So I choose my FF for better low light IQ and add only a 40/2.8 pancake or a 85/1.8.

Again, it all depends on situation and circumstances... 8)
 
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Sabaki said:
Hi Max :)

Is there anyway I can update the post with a poll? I'm not quite sure how to 'poll' a post
I never did that before because I never had any topic where I found a poll appropriate.

So if you're the one that started a thread you (at least I ;) ) can see an "Add poll" button close to the "Reply" button on the top right. Should be easy to do so then...
 
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It depends on the outing and the environment. If I'm shooting outdoor sports - it's the lighter, and capable 70-200 f/4 and the 7D. If it's indoors, it's the 6D and 70-200 f/2.8 - if I'm hiking or taking any landscape shots, it's the 6D and 16-35 f/4. Motorsports - 7D, 70-200 f/2.8 and the 2x extender.

For me, it's about taking the best gear for the job, and not packing everything. I find that I rarely want for a lens I don't have with me. As I've evolved in this hobby/pursuit/passion, I've significantly improved my approach to preparation and gear selection. That strategy deals with the burden of too much weight in a bit of a different sense.
 
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gregorywood said:
For me, it's about taking the best gear for the job, and not packing everything. I find that I rarely want for a lens I don't have with me. As I've evolved in this hobby/pursuit/passion, I've significantly improved my approach to preparation and gear selection. That strategy deals with the burden of too much weight in a bit of a different sense.

Your subject title reminds me that every piece of kit I purchase is a trade off between optical performance v weight/cost/bulk. As a number of others have observed its about taking the best gear for the occasion and I enjoy the variety and challenges that this poses. If I am out on my own shooting landscape or the natural world with time to spare its the 6D and a MF Zeiss lens. If I am at an outdoor sporting event then I will take the 7DII and a zoom. If I am at a function in mixed light its the 6D and a fast canon AF prime. If I need to travel light its the EOS M and the excellent EFM 22. I agree that I rarely want for a lens that I don't have with me,but enjoy experimenting with the body/lens combination that I have in my hands.
 
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It depends on the situation.

First of all I wanted to talk about bags, I'm a self confessed bag-a-holic if you have a good bag weight is a lot easier to deal with. Definitely worth looking at your bag set up before you ditch your gear for smaller and lighter variations. I generally spend a lot on bags, £250-400 is about where the best bags are. There are many under this price but they are usually a lot heavier. A general bag can weigh 2-3kgs without any of your gear in it! Thats basically 2x 5DMKIII and 24-105mm combos. So making sure you do your research and find the right bag is paramount.

My favourite new bag is the Fstopper Loka UL (ultralight) its a 37l which is a modular meaning you can switch out the internals to your situation. There is a small med and large internal camera storage options or you can not bother and use the bag on its own. The bag weighs 1.2kg with a large ICU inside. The UL does have a few drawbacks that the inside compartment doesn't have a partition so things you put in the top can fall through and it doesn't have many zipped sections. But its a big bag which will take 2DSLRs 4-5 lenses flash up to 15" laptop and enough gear for you to be on the mountain for the night.

As I've grown as a photographer over the last 10 years its more about what I'm shooting that decides my gear choice.

Professional:

When it comes to my professional work weight is an issue because when you are shooting a wedding for 8-12hrs 8-12kgs of gear does take a toll but I also take the best gear for the situation.

Weddings and events: I always take two Full Frame bodies (5DMKIII) one with a standard zoom at F2.8 (24-70mm) and one with 70-200mm, then I have 90% of situations covered. I then also carry a 16-35mm F2.8 for those situations where space is cramped and still low light. I generally like F2.8 lenses for this as it gives me a specific look with the versatility of the zooms covering a large focal length. I also take along a prime with me usually a 50mm just for portraits and a twin flash set up.

Motorsport: Same as above minus the 50mm + 100-400mm. Motorsport events usually are over weekends, so there is the track action and then the enthusiast cars usually on display.
I take one Full Frame body and one Crop (5DMKIII and 7DMKII) The crop body because they offer faster shooting speeds and are smaller bodies which I prefer. When walking through the club fields I will carry the 5 with a 24-70mm or the 16-35mm and a 70-200mm on the 7. When on the track I switch the 7D to the 100-400mm and stick the 16-35mm on the 5. F2.8 gives lovely images of cars and also reduces fussy backgrounds, while on track its not as much of an issue when panning.

Personal:

For my personal work weight is much more of an issue.

Landscape: Although I do shoot landscapes for clients its not my bread and butter. Generally take one FF body, 16-35mm F2.8 24-105mm F4 and I used to take my 70-300mm L before I sold it. This gives me a great range of shots that covers most aspects from wide to more tele type landscape imagery, they are slower but lighter. The 70-300mm is a great choice as its small offers amazing quality and can sit upright in most bags. For landscape work I generally stop down so having fast lenses isn't necessary except when shooting at night which is why I keep the 16-35mm as 2.8 is very useful. This is to keep weight down when I'm hiking I like to keep the weight down and also the amount of gear because I will take supplies depending on the day, could camp or just take some food etc sometimes I take a tripod depends.

Travel: I traveled North and south america for 5 months this year and I definitely wanted to travel light. I took the 5 with 24-105mm because its a great all round lens, 16-35mm F2.8 which is also very useful can be used as a nice 35mm when needed at 2.8 and can be used for landscape and nightscape, 70-300mm L I went to the amazon and quite a few other areas where there is abundant incredible wildlife so I wanted to take a very sharp zoom which is also very compact, loved it apart from it was a little short. I also took an iPad mini, 2 back up hdds on 2tb and a 1tb hyperdrive you can put images straight onto with the built in card reader. This all fit into a small 22l day bag and I carried another large 60l bag for all my other things.

This year I'm going to africa for 2 months and south east asia for another 2. This time I'm taking more, taking the 5D and 7D 100-400mm instead of the 70-300mm and a 1.4x extender. The 70-300mm was just too short for wildlife and I want to take two cameras with me so I can have a wide angle perspective and a more intimate perspective. This gives me 16-896mm which will be fantastic. Im also replacing the iPad with my 11" macbook air because the colour from the iPad mini was atrocious, it was fantastic apart from that. But this is much heavier about 4-5kgs more but at the same time I have two bags so I can move items from one to the other when I don't need them.

So basically if i don't need to take heavy F2.8 lenses I won't. I have a large range of gear which covers most situations and sometimes multiples of the same focal length but lighter and smaller versions 24-105 and 24-70mm 70-200mm 70-300mm and 100-400mm. Most people don't like to have multiples of the same focal lengths but if you use the gear I don't see why not. I shoot professionally so I do have an excuse to buy more and not worry about it sitting around, the cost also does not bother me as each item will pay for itself many times, if not in money then in enjoyment. There is a downside - if I'm using one the other is usually in the cupboard. From my lightroom catalogue I have found I use most of my lenses about the same because of the various types of photography I produce.

In terms of bodies, I have medium to large hands and anything from 70D up is the right size for me. They are comfortable, ergonomic and i enjoy using them

I find the mirrorless offerings don't play well with the focal lengths I use (which is most). I would love to use the sony gear but putting any L lens on them with an adapter just doesn't work the same way, the ergonomics are no where near as nice as a proper canon body. The mirroless equivalent lenses don't exist either, the 24-70mm Zeiss is by all accounts a poor lens, the 70-200mm is only available as an F4 and there is nothing above 200mm adapting lenses just isn't my idea of reliance, I need to rely on the gear and this just doesn't give me the same performance.

The battery life is also not good enough for me I carry 4 canon batteries all the time with me and those sony batteries last about 1/4 the time. The new mirrorless bodies are also not that much smaller now as they grow with the needs of the people that use them. The positives don't outweigh the negatives for me yet. Plus I just love my canon gear! The new A7RMKII isn't much smaller and lighter than a 5DMKIII.

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I have also come to rely on my gear I go to hostile places, out in the rain etc and the canon gear is solid and I trust it.
 
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I am in none of the above.

I take the best gear for the task at hand. If I am traveling for work and unlikely to get many chances for photography I would just take my EOS-M that has taken the position of point and shoot. If I have no idea what I am going to need I take my Canon 6D. If it just for fun I take my Sony A7II and some prime lenses.

Weight is definitely a consideration if I am already carrying a large amount of non photography gear. Often photography is a secondary pursuit.
 
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For me it's a balance between having good IQ and weight / size. I'd much rather have a pleasant experience walking around, taking in the sights and enjoying my vacation or trip than turning it into a workout. However, I'm not that worried about it and see no need to go the Sony A7 route, spending boat loads on a new system just to shave a few pounds. Plus I like the ergonomics of a DSLR. The 6D is bang on in terms of IQ and size and pairs well with the f/4L zooms. This is already better gear than I will ever need so buying the ultimate would be a waste - I'm just not that good (yet!)
 
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PKinDenmark said:
I do not have separate gear in each of these two camps,

I am definitely in both camps. Generally, it's 'ultimate gear'. That means the 1D X and whatever lenses are appropriate for the subject(s). So you'll find me birding with the 600/4 II, traveling to Europe with the 24-70 and two ultrawide/wide TS-E lenses, or at my kids' indoor sporting events with the 70-200/2.8 II.

But...there are certainly times when it's not feasible to bring a dSLR and lens(es). In that case, my goal is biggest sensor in smallest package/kit. Currently, that's the EOS M2 with ultrawide/normal zooms and the 22/2.

In fact, that strategy sometimes means carrying even more gear. For example, on a trip to Europe with family earlier this year, I did not want to walk all around Paris with a backpack full of camera gear, a tripod, and three young kids impatient to be on the move. The M kit was perfect for that. At night after the kids were in bed, I took the 'real' kit for a walkaround.

Day:

EOS M, EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM @ 11mm, 1/30 s, f/5.6, ISO 400


Night:

EOS 1D X, TS-E 17mm f/4L, 8 s, f/10, ISO 100

I agree with tomscott that bag selection is critical for making whtever load you carry comfortable, which is why I have far more camera carrying cases than my wife has purses. ;)

5934784630_f4096d1e0d.jpg
 
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neuroanatomist said:
I agree with tomscott that bag selection is critical for making whtever load you carry comfortable, which is why I have far more camera carrying cases than my wife has purses. ;)

5934784630_f4096d1e0d.jpg

I see that you are a Lowepro Ambassador...I am quite fond of their stuff as well, though I don't have nearly the collection that you do. :-) I have two Pro Messengers of different volumes, one DSLR Fastback, and various lens cases.
 
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None of the options fit.
"depends" would be my answer.
I don't shoot professionally. I choose what gear to bring depending on the length of time, length of distance on foot (and elevation changes, and type of footing), and need to carry other items for the photography episode. I don't carry "everything". I anticipate the type of photography I want to do, and stock the bag accordingly. I do choose based on my physical limitations, in that carrying more than 10 pounds of gear and 2 to 3 pounds of water/bottle/snack requires some decision on whether I really need the equipment. If yes, I suck it up and take it - but 13 pounds is approximately my cut-off for "not noticeable" versus "PITA". That 13 pounds is 11% of my body weight, by the way.
 
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neuroanatomist said:
I agree with tomscott that bag selection is critical for making whtever load you carry comfortable, which is why I have far more camera carrying cases than my wife has purses. ;)

5934784630_f4096d1e0d.jpg

I could understand if you had shown a picture of every lens Canon makes. One of each, yes I can relate.

But this a bit of excess. Canon doesn't make enough lenses and bodies to fill all those bags. You might have to also start buying Nikon gear to fill them up.

I have two backpacks, a hard case, soft case and assorted other bags. It bothers me that several of them are empty.

Empty Bags = More Space to Add Gear :)
 
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takesome1 said:
neuroanatomist said:
I agree with tomscott that bag selection is critical for making whtever load you carry comfortable, which is why I have far more camera carrying cases than my wife has purses. ;)
5934784630_f4096d1e0d.jpg
Canon doesn't make enough lenses and bodies to fill all those bags. You might have to also start buying Nikon gear to fill them up.
Are you sure?
60d_lenses.jpg
 
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